Photoshop Not Releasing Memory

[DigitalScape]

Recently I have been experiencing an issue with Photoshop (CS5) consuming and then not releasing memory. I am running CS5 on a Windows XP Pro 64 bit OS with 8GB system memory (same memory issue whether I run the 64-bit PS or the 32-bit version). To give an example (using task manager to track/record memory usage) - memory usage stated below is what is allocated/used for PS

Start up PS: 151MB
Load Image (Raw file): 318MB
Copy background Layer and Run PS filter for noise reduction: 778MB
Close the file (without saving): 778MB

If I open another image the memory usage will continue to increase until no memory is available, and the program (PS) issues an error and closes. the 778MB memory allocation/usage by PS (in the above example) will not be released until I exit PS - closing PS releases all PS allocated memory.

I thought the issue might be plug-in related, but I have done the above steps and seen similar results if I use plug-ins (the memory usage is higher with the plug-ins). I have removed (uninstalled) the plug-ins and the memory problem (not being released) is still present.

I guess my next step is to uninstall PS and reinstall (I have already tried resetting the preferences). Any ideas?

[Patti Edens]

I dunno. Mine does the same thing. I never noticed it before. It just keeps adding up as I open more and more, do a few edits and and close each without saving. Interesting. Mine starts in the 150 meg (150,000K) range and then keeps going up. I haven't reached a limit yet or at least I haven't seen an error.

[Rson]

Have you updated PS to 12.04? (I think that is the latest).

Are you running bridge also?

My guess is that you are running 64 bit XP, that is the problem, it was windows first jump into 64bit and it is very buggy.

[DigitalScape]

Rich, yes I am running 64 bit XP, and I am running the latest version of CS5 (and Bridge). This issue has recently cropped up - all summer everything was doing just fine. I have to close PS after every image edit, or else I'll get a PS crash while editing the second image.

Patti, You are correct -- my memory numbers in the example above should be megabytes (I'll fix that).

[ngoduyviet]

Add more memory, get a SSD & put your scratch disk on it. Problem solved :) PS is a memory hog no matter what you do.

[DigitalScape]

Viet, memory (scratch disk or main) is not the issue (I have over 6TB of hard disk access available to PS for scratch disk). Something has changed with PS or with the plug-ins, or some memory management (i.e. with the OS with the various updates). I think I have eliminated the plug-ins as the same issue exists with or without them. I know PS is a memory hog, and the same configuration worked fine this summer - nothing system hardware wise has changed.

[ngoduyviet]

Mine is PS3, and there's an option in Preference to allocate certain amount of memory for PS. I'm sure PS 5 probably has the same thing. Try to lower it and see if it'll release the memory at max allowed, and try to raise that amount as well to see what happens?

[Rson]

XP x64 has memory issues. Flat out. I will give you Vista x64 if you want to try it. (I have 10 licensees I don't use)

Try with out bridge running too. Sometimes that wou't release the image you are building.

[Patti Edens]

I don't think it has to do with releasing memory. Mine is doing the same thing and I can open a dozen photos and process huge panos.

Here are some of my settings if it helps. I am not an expert at this, so if this is useless rambling, sorry ...




This is the intermediate setting. There is one that uses even less GPU memory and one that really hogs it.

[Rson]

Adobe doesn't supprt OpenGL in windows x64 Pro.

GPU, OpenGL support | Photoshop CS4, CS5

[Rson]

Originally Posted by Patti Edens

I don't think it has to do with releasing memory. Mine is doing the same thing and I can open a dozen photos and process huge panos.

Here are some of my settings if it helps. I am not an expert at this, so if this is useless rambling, sorry ...

Attachment 152754


This is the intermediate setting. There is one that uses even less GPU memory and one that really hogs it.
Attachment 152755


GPU memory doesn't have anything to do with System memory. I believe that is what he is having probs with.


Attachment 152756

GPU memory doesn't have anything to do with System memory. I believe that is what he is having probs with.

[Patti Edens]

Originally Posted by Rson

GPU memory doesn't have anything to do with System memory. I believe that is what he is having probs with.

Ah, sorry. I was hoping that screen shots of a system that worked would help, but I see I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Hope you figure it out.

[DigitalScape]

Thanks for the suggestions. For me the puzzler is that everything has worked fine for most of this year (no hardware changes - just the normal OS updates and the updates for PS/Bridge). The issue exists with or without bridge running, and at various Memory Usage settings in the PS Preferences.

I am in the process of building a new photo editing machine (Win 7 based), so I may end up just punting on this issue and get moving on the next machine.

[DigitalScape]

No solution found, so I ended up doing a OS change - moved to Win7. Just now getting all the files, plug-ins, and associated updates installed.

[Rson]

IMO the os change was the solution.